Green your kitchen

Greening your kitchen can make a dramatic impact on your carbon footprint, your eco-mindedness, and your green thumb. Check out the list below for 5 easy ways to green your kitchen and save money...

1. Buy local and organic food. Buying from local farmers means your food hasn’t been shipped from hundreds of miles away, saving transportation emissions that contribute to global climate change. It can also mean that you save some coin because transportation costs aren’t added to your grocery store price for fruits and veggies. Buying organic means your food isn’t treated with pesticides or other fertilizers so you aren’t ingesting unwanted metals and toxins. Find a local farmer’s market in your neighborhood. And, don’t forget to take your eco-friendly reusable bags along with you.
2. Clean with natural products. Because the kitchen can be one of the most germ- invested areas of your house, (i.e. raw poultry, fish, meats, etc.), we often use harsh chemical cleaners to ward away that nasty pest, Sal(monella). We and our pets breath in these chemicals, which can cause respiratory reactions, sting our eyes, and not to mention, leave unkind odors in our indoor air. Use natural based cleaners like those from Seventh Generation. Tip! Visit their www to download coupons and save yourself a buck or two!
3. Biodegradable garbage bags. Know what happens to your garbage once those trash guys haul it away? LANDFILL! It takes years for plastic trash bags to degrade in a landfill, and as the bag degrades, chemicals are released and mix with runoff (typically rain). That water filters through soil entering our ground water supplies and into local streams where we get our fresh drinking water supplies. The result? Our water supplies are filled with chemicals. AND, generating more plastic means more energy and water consumption to make plastic. Instead, buy biodegradable bags made from contents that will stay strong when you are takin’ out the trash and will degrade safer and faster in landfills. Pay close attention at your local grocery store for biodegradable bags.
4. Energy efficient lighting (compact fluorescents). Replace your kitchen lights with energy efficient lighting. Energy consumption is one of the leading producers of greenhouse gas emissions and emissions that contribute to air pollution. These bulbs last longer, run more efficiently, and thus, save you money. Watch for EPA’s EnergyStar labeled lighting at your local hardware or grocery store.
5. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The old adage is back again. But it’s so easy and so important! Reducing your waste stream is by far, one of the most measurable ways to go green. Think, “do I really need all this stuff? If I buy more, won’t that mean I have to clean/care for more?” Ummm, yea, nix the unnecessary. Reuse gently used Tupperware that your lunch meat came in…clean it and store your leftovers. And the next time you buy Tupperware, turn over the container to make sue it has a recycled label. Now more than ever, neighborhoods are recycling everything, even the kitchen sink! Recycling can also reduce global waste streams by reusing existing materials instead of introducing more raw materials into our stores. Here are a list of items you should be recycling on a regular basis: glass-bottles, vases, broken tableware; plastic-package wrapping, bottles, overused containers; paper-note pads, shredded mail, unwanted mailers; aluminum-cans, foil, packaging materials; metals-hangers, broken metal furniture, tools; used cooking oils; vehicle oils and grease; electronics-TV’s, computers, radios; clothing; bedding; old appliances like the microwave or the kitchen sink, old furniture, and anything else. Locate your community’s recycling center to see what they accept. Sometimes, they have free days where you can drop off anything and everything free of charge.

Other ideas: use recycled content indoor trash cans, eco-friendly kitchen furniture, EnergyStar refrigerators and freezers, eco-flooring, turn down the hot water heater, wash in cold water, let dishes in your dishwasher air dry, compost.